Dallas Business Journal articles from September 2000

Dallas Business Journal archives from September 2000

Beal nabs Fina campus.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Fast-growing Dallas bank edges two competitors for lavish facility in Legacy park PLANO -- Dallas-based Beal Bank has signed a contract to purchase the former BINA headquarters. The deal provides an answer to months of speculation...

'We're frustrated'.(Interview with chairman of Dallas Citizens Council)(Interview)
September 1, 2000... The Dallas Citizens Council's next chairman, Mike Boone, says the business group will be 'actively involved in picking and funding nine candidates for Dallas school board GREATER METROPLEX -- Mike Boone, co-founder and partner at Haynes...

WideOpenWest to lease space, hire 300 in Metroplex.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - WideOpen -- West L.L.C. plans to lease space in North Richland Hills and Irving and employ up to 300 people to provide broadband services to Metroplex residents and businesses. WideOpen West, based in Castle. Rock,...

Telecom exec named in sex-harassment suits.(James L. Blythe of Blythe-Nelson)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- James L. Blythe has a very public face. Blythe is co-owner of Blythe-Nelson, a successful, Dallas-based provider of engineering and management-consulting services in the telecommunications arena. The 70person firm boasts...

Big project, small users.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Westport park's location will be an advantage GRAPEVINE -- Bradford Cos. and L&B Realty Advisors Inc. plan to develop a four-building. 250,000-square-foot industrial project on 15 acres at Westport Parkway and State Highway 360, near the...

More chic shops.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... GRAPEVINE--It's not Rodeo Drive, but Grapevine Mills mall is increasing its lineup of top-name retailers. Tommy Hilfiger will open a 7,000-square-foot store in October near Off 5th-Saks Fifth Avenue and Liz Claiborne Shoes. It will be only...

So long, farewell.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... NORTH DALLAS -- Nashville-based practice management company PhyCor Inc. has apparently told the more than 60 employees working with the nonprofit Southwest Physician Associates in Dallas that they will be out of work on or about Sept. 30. ...

More layoffs.(Con-Way Truckload Services Inc. to close Fort Worth facility)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... FORT WORTH -- Con-Way Truckload Services Inc. plans to permanently close its Fort Worth operations and lay off the company's 90 employees. The company's assets were purchased Aug. 22 by Covenant Transport, a publicly owned long-haul trucking...

Grocery spots.(H.E. Butt Grocery Co. looking for store locations in the Dallas area)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... GREATER METROPLEX -- San Antonio-based H.E. Butt Grocery Co. this week confirmed what real estate sources have long discussed: The company is eying developments in Dallas and Plano for its Central Market concept. The company is moving into...

'St. Lipshy' talks.(Talks continue between St. Paul Medical Center and Dale Lipshy University Hospital)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... MEDICAL CENTER -- St. Paul Medical Center continues to negotiate with Zale Lipshy University Hospital and The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, but just what those talks might include continues to be a mystery. All...

New principal.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... OAK LAWN -- Randy Garrett is leaving a longtime position as director at Kennedy-Wilson Brokerage Services to become a principal at NAI/Stoneleigh Huff Brous McDowell. He joins a former Kennedy-Wilson colleague, Robert Deptula, who made the move...

Southwest Airlines laces up skates with NHL.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... FORT WORTH -- The NHL has teamed up with broadcast partners ABC and ESPN to ink Southwest Airlines Co. to a four-year, joint sponsorship and advertising deal. It marks the first time the league has ever bundled a sponsorship with a media...

Flex parking is critical to project.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... ALLIANCE -- Hillwood plans to begin construction in about 20 days on a 75,000-square-foot speculative office/warehouse building. The new building will be south of the Park Vista and State Highway 170 intersection in Fort Worth and will face...

Palace recipe: Mix billiards, food and TV.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Owner invests $3M to open at tollway site NORTH DALLAS -- Internationally known pocket billiards champion Carson "CJ" Wiley plans a massive billiards, restaurant and entertainment complex to "supercharge the night life in Dallas." The...

Two cash-pinched rural hospitals to merge.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A $20 million hospital will be built in Cooke County if approved GAINESVILLE -- Eliminating the competition will help two North Texas hospitals adjust to decreased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements and generate more patient revenue,...

S.H. 121 bypass opens way for industrial development.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... LEWISVILLE -- A limited partnership led by Bill Foose plans to develop a 130-acre heavy industrial park on the city's east side. The limited partnership is looking at 260 acres, but about half the property lies within the Trinity River...

Insurance firm relocates office.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... HURST -- Life Investors Insurance Co. of America plans to move into a larger building along Airport Freeway that Stream Realty Partners recently bought as a speculative investment. Life Investors is a health insurance administrator that...

Neiman Marcus hires creative director.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH -- After promoting Sundance Square as the place to be in Fort Worth, Andrew Gallina left his job as marketing director for a post where he will tout Neiman Marcus as the place to shop. After almost three years, Gallina,...

Financial staffing firm opens 20th office.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... IRVING -- Kelly Financial Resources, the finance and accounting business unit of staffing company Kelly Services Inc., has opened a new Dallas office. KFR specializes in the placement of individuals in the financial industry. The new...

Eateries pack key crossroads in Allen.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... City is 'suddenly not too far north' ALLEN -- Along with rooftops and shopping centers, restaurants are popping up in Allen. The restaurant scene is growing well beyond a handful of established sit-down restaurants and fast-food joints...

Community banking is a man's world.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Women's advancement into top management in community banking continues to be an uphill battle, according to a recent study conducted by the Financial Women International Foundation. The study says women are not much better off in smaller,...

'Save the Trees' takes root in developments.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Flower Mound trades cost-saving incentives for tree preservation DENTON COUNTY -- When residents move into the-first phase of the 1 ,600-acre Lantana community in Denton County, developer John Wagner wants them to feel like they are in the...

Managed care exec to step down.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... LAS COLINAS -- Tony Van Roekel, principal operating officer of CIGNA HealthCare of Texas Inc., North Texas Division, has confirmed he will retire at the end of November. A final exit date has yet to be announced and a successor has not...

Discounter picks Frisco for latest store.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... FRISCO - DSW show Warehouse, one of the fastest-growing shoe retailers in the country, will open Oct. 6 at 3333 Preston Road in Frisco. The company operates 65 stores in 40 U.S. markets. including three oth ers in the Metroplex in North...

Hospital chain mulls West Texas expansion.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... But not everyone in Lubbock welcomes it FAR NORTH DALLAS -- Triad Hospitals Inc. has taken a step toward entering the highly competitive Lubbock health care market, winning zoning approval last week for a 32.8-acre tract of land. The...

Triad fills post in eastern N.M.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... FAR NORTH DALLAS -- Dallas-based Triad Hospitals Inc. has named Larry Bozeman as CEO of Lea Regional Medical Center, a 250-bed facility in Hobbs, N.M. He had held the same post at the 153-bed Trinity Valley Medical Center in Palestine, owned by...

Fund honors department head.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A $500,000 endowment in the name of the late Dr. James N. Gilliam, former chairman of the dermatology department, has been established at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. Gilliam chaired the department from...

New firm is 'merger of opposite strengths'.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Three commercial real estate execs form Onyx NORTH DALLAS -- Two Koll Development Co. executives are joining forces with a third industry veteran to form their own real estate services firm. Eric Langford, formerly senior vice...

Patents fees rise after three years.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office will raise patent fees Oct. 1 by 2.68%, the current rate of inflation. The increase is the first for the patent office since 1997. It reduced fees in 1998 and 1999 to better reflect...

Factory goes, HQ stays in consolidation.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Layoffs begin this fall at 97-year-old company KNOX-HENDERSON -- Equipto, a Dallas maker of shelves, cabinets, benches and related gear, is shutting its local manufacturing plant and laying off 51 employees. The company is moving the...

Plano retail hub gets new leasing representative.(United Commercial Realty/Chain Links; Kelly Lynn Allen)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... PLANO -- Kellie Lynn Allen has joined United Commercial Realty/ChainLinks to lease and market The Shops at Legacy, the retail component of the larger Legacy Town Center mixed-use project. As vice president of project leasing, Allen will...

OSHA makes cut.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is one of 25 finalists for the Innovations in American Government Award, a program sponsored by the Ford Foundation and administered by Harvard University's Kennedy School of...

Retail Centers stack up on U.S. 377 corridor.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... WATAUGA -- The Watauga retail corridor is filling up in Tarrant County. Realty Corp. of Greenville, S.C., is planning to develop up to 190,000 square feet of retail space on 24 acres on the northeast corner of U.S. 377 and Starnes Road....

Small-scale hazmat generators get break on how to get rid of the stuff.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... FORT WORTH -- A new pilot program will allow eligible small businesses in Fort Worth to dispose of certain hazardous waste at the city's Environmental Collection Center beginning Oct. 2. Until this time, the collection center has only...

Growth triggers 5-year-old firm's move.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... ARLINGTON -- Southwest Networks Inc., a cabling company, has relocated its headquarters to a 16,000-square-foot building in Arlington. Southwest is doubling its space and moving from 2225 E. Randol Mill Road, Suite 526, to 2620 Ave. E....

Leadership Texas accepts applications.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The Foundation for Women's Resources has announced the opening of the application period for its statewide development program, Leadership Texas. A year-long program, Leadership Texas assembles top women leaders from throughout the state to...

Estate tax 'stunt' fails to impress Clinton.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Montana rancher Lynn Cornwell traveled by tractor from the Capitol to the White House to deliver legislation to phase out the estate tax over the next 10 years. "Mr. President, don't veto this bill!" said 97-year-old...

Ergo, ergonomics.(Cost of compliance with OSHA rules)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... A new study by the Employment Policy Foundation estimates the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's proposed ergonomics standard will cost American businesses $91 billion a year over the next 10 years, not the $4.2 billion that the...

Radiology is profitable, busy, hard to staff.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Fifty-two percent or radiology heads consider finding radiologists and radiologic technologists to be their top priority in the next year, according to preliminary results of a soon-to-be released survey by Dallas-based U.S. Radiology Partners....

Amicable divorce.(Covennat Behavioral Health Systems sold)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The short marriage is all but over for Las Colinas-based Christus Health and long-suffering Charter Behavioral Health Systems because a new suitor appears to be just weeks away from purchasing their joint assets and managed care contracts. ...

On the bright side.(Medical Center of Mesquite)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... While its parent company, Houston-based Paracelsus Healthcare Corp., is likely days away from filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, The Medical Center of Mesquite is being praised "as one of the better-performing" facilities in the 10-hospital...

Kicking dirt.(Frisco Medical Center and Office Building)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Ground was broken Wednesday for Frisco Medical Center and the Frisco Medical Office Building, a combined $30 million project that is a partnership between 80 physicians and Texas Health Ventures Group. In turn, THV is a partnership between...

Landry tribute.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Aetna US Healthcare, Baylor Health Care System and Carter BloodCare have joined forces to sponsor the inaugural Friends of Tom Landry Community Blood Drive. In what organizers hope will become an annual event, the drive will be held Sept. 9-11...

Fort Worth publisher debuts travel 'zine.(Travelocity)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... More than 600 people who attended the Dallas launch party for Travelocity magazine last week were able to sneak a peak at the new bimonthly publication. The party drew media buyers, agency folks and a host of big names from local guest of honor...

Mark your calendars.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Journalist John Seigenthaler will speak on ethics and the media at 8 p.m. Sept. 12 in Caruth Auditorium on the SMU campus. Seigenthaler is former president of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and spent 43 years as an award-winning...

Getting creative.(Dallas office of Rap Collins has new leader)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The 60-person creative department at Rapp Collins/Dallas has a new leader. Helene Cote has moved from the company's New York office to serve as executive vice president and chief creative officer at the office in Irving. She'll oversee a...

People and places.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... * Texas Highways is spotlighting the state's seven tourism regions in a splashy special issue. The magazine will also produce a second version of the issue, which will be available to people looking for a resource guide for Texas adventures,...

Brokers: Get technology or get bypassed.(Scott Rickard)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Scott Rickard is the latest senior executive hired at Mohr Partners. The new director of global operations previously was president of Newport Beach, Calif.-based The CORE Network, which he grew from 20 associate companies to 82 firms in 120...

Buildings going up.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Developer Kenneth Smith is building a $2.4 million, 5,000-sqauare-foot spec office and warehouse in Rockwall Technology Park. The building will be located on four acres at the northeast corner of the 147-acre park, fronting F.M. 549. Other...

Up the ladder.(Michael Wyatt)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Michael Wyatt has been promoted to senior director in the Dallas office of Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. In a 15-year career with the company, Wyatt has formed tenant representation deals with more than 500 clients, including Procter &...

Picasso Software.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Picasso Software has leased 21,200 square feet in Preston One, 18111 Preston Road in Dallas. Todd Fobare, represented the building owner, Skyrise Properties. John Gates and Laurie Wilkerson of The Staubach Co. represented Picasso Software.

McLendon Cos.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... McLendon Cos. has sold 20 acres of land at 3141 Walton Walker Blvd. Gary Lindsey and Robert Fulford of Grubb & Ellis represented the seller.

Air Excellence Inc.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Air Excellence Inc. has leased 16,800 square feet at 1413 E. Ave. H in Grand Prairie. Eric Gilbert with Grubb & Ellis represented the tenant. John Brewer of Robert Lynn Co. represented the landlord

Harold Russell.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dallas investors Harold Russell and Vicky Russell have purchased the Big D Bindery at 737 Regal Row in the Brookhollow industrial area of Dallas. The 58,000-square-foot building sits on 3.35 acres. Al Shannon of Henry S. Miller Commercial and...

International Capital Inc.(land purchase)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... International Capital Inc., on behalf of a European investment group, has purchased 163 acres of undeveloped land in Collin County on County Road 946, 3 miles north of Celina off F.M. 455. Christiane Hepfer and Christian Hepfer of International...

Five Nine Seven Ltd.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Five Nine Seven Ltd. has purchased a flex-use facility at 1950 Alpha Road in Rockwall from Terry McKinney. David English of Corrigan Real Estate Services negotiated the transaction.

Tuesday Morning.(leases space in Plano)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Tuesday Morning has leased 13,800 square feet at Preston Shepard Place in Plano. Greg Bracchi of The Staubach Co., represented the tenant. Dan Smalley, president of Terranomics Retail Services, represented the landlord

T&S Software Associates Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... T&S Software Associates Inc. has leased 10,500 square feet of office and warehouse space at Richardson Tech Center, at 651-681 N. Plano Road in Richardson. Beall Carothers of The Mullen Co. represented the landlord, Brian Cheek of Grubb & Ellis...

One man's e-headache is another's chance.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... We've all heard the buzz about electronic commerce. It saves time. It cuts costs. And on and on. But for companies and the managers who run them, e-commerce isn't all peaches and cream. It creates reams of data that need to be stored...

Joining forces.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... The North Dallas Investment Group, which helps bring together individual "angel" investors and entrepreneurs seeking capital, has forged an alliance with the Fort Worth MedTech Center Inc., an incubator for medical-related companies. Greg...

Breakfast schmoozing.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... There's still a little time -- but not much -- to reserve a spot for the next edition of the Southwest Venture Forum. Sponsored by SMU's Cox School of Business, the title of this month's event is "Venture Investing Update." It will feature...

Corporate Synergies Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Corporate Synergies Inc., an Internet ad firm based in Addison, is raising $1 million in equity, with a minimum $10,000 investment, according to the newsletter Private Equity Week. The cash will go toward advertising costs, Web-site design and...

Cysive Inc.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Cysive Inc., a Reston, Va., builder of electronic-commerce systems, re-cently opened a Dallas office.

BV Solutions Group.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... BV Solutions Group, a Kansas City supplier of information-technology services, is also opening a Dallas sales office. The lone salesperson in Dallas will operate out of the Dallas offices of Black & Veatch, an engineering and construction...

SBA loans, some shaky, lure 25 bidders.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The Small Business Administration completed the first-ever sale of SBA loans to the private sector last week. The SBA said it has received bids from 25 companies on about 4,060 loans it originated or guaranteed. About half of those loans --...

Bank One.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Bank One is making some changes, including the promotion of Larry Helm as head of middle market banking for the southern region, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma. Chairman and chief executive of Bank One in Dallas since 1989, Helm had...

The Meditrust Companies.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... The Meditrust Companies (NYSE:MT) said last week it completed asset sales and mortgage repayments of $138 million since the second quarter ended June 30. To date, the company has completed $459 million in asset sales and mortgage repayments as...

Prize Energy Corp.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Prize Energy Corp. (AMEX:PRZ) said it has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission concerning a proposed public sale of about 3.8 million shares of its common stock, or 29% of the company's outstanding shares....

Sunshine Mining and Refining Co.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dallas mining company, Sunshine Mining and Refining Co. (SSCF: OB), and three affiliates have sought Chapter II protection, listing assets of $33 mil-lion and debts of $55 million in filings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. In a...

First City Financial Corp.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
September 1, 2000... Waco-based First City Financial Corp. (Nasdaq: FCFC) said this week that it completed the $15 million sale of 49% of its auto-lending unit, as well as a corporate debt restructure. The multiphase transaction is expected to close Aug. 25. ...

In war and peace, bomb demand continues.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... A recent 100-plus-degree day in the Metroplex seemed doubly hot while touring the industrial facilities of International Manufacturing Co. (IMCO) in east Garland. About 350 employees at IMCO toil around numerous furnaces in open-air metal...

Expanding to Austin.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dallas-based North Texas Bomanite Inc. is opening a new division, Bomanite of Austin Ltd. Scott Balch, president of North Texas Bomanite, will lead both the Dallas and Austin operations. The contractor, which. specializes in architectural...

Dallas Area Rapid Transit.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Dallas Area Rapid Transit has named Don Ginzel vice president of the Metroplex public transportation agency's procurement and materials management department. Ginzel will oversee the awarding and management of DART construction, services and...

Sue-Ann Linnemann.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Sue-Ann Linnemann, international trade manager with U.S. Customs, and Diane Thompson Divin, corporate import administrator for Mary Kay Inc., are the scheduled speakers at the monthly dinner meeting Sept. 21 of Women in International Trade of...

Feds declare war on 'unfit' carriers.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Get ready for tougher restriction about which carriers are fit to travel on interstate highways. The U.S. Department of Transportation now requires all "unfit" motor carriers to improve or stop operating their trucks and buses in...

Unleashed online.(Transplace.com, an online transportation exchange)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Battling for share of $150 billion transportation exchange market PIANO -- As president of Piano-based Transplace.com, Jun-Sheng Li says without a trace of arrogance that he gives little thought to his competitors on the Internet --...

Burlington embraces Mexico market.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... NAFTA brings success to TMM, Mexico's railway MEXICO CITY -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. says its doing more business with Mexico because the Fort Worth-based railroad's customers like the market. BNSF (NYSE: BNI) began doing...

Warehouses adapting to high tech.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... But success requires good, old-fashioned experience from management team SOUTHEAST DALLAS -- High technology is forcing warehouse owners to change how they do business. But instead of working against technology, more and more owners are...

Want to save time? Charter airplanes.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Chartering an airplane is about saving time, not money. So when an executive's time is extremely valuable, or when a deal must absolutely get done on time, it's time to charter an airplane. "Time is money," says Frederick Gevalt, president...

Air carriers confront increase in fuel prices.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Big airlines can pass on new costs, but small outfits must absorb them D/FW INTERNATIONAL -- Soaring jet fuel prices are clouding the skies of air cargo transportation leaders. Higher fuel prices are forcing many of these companies to...

People on the move.(executive appointments)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... ASSOCIATIONS Roxanne McCreery was named president and chief financial officer, and Frank Boschi was named director of market management for the Association of Briefing Program Managers. Jerry Reynolds was named first director of the...

Joseph Hawkins.(CEO of physician search firm)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... Hawkins, 42, is co-founder and chief executive officer of Merritt Hawkins and Associates, an Irving-based physician search firm. * Family: My wife, Janice, is my high school sweetheart. Our children are Joshua, 18; Adam, 17; and Jennifer,...

Inventor kept on keeping on.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... NiteSight creator wasn't prepared for the hard road of taking his invention to the masses DOWNTOWN DALLAS -- John Pat Hicks had an idea. What he didn't have was a means to finance, produce, manufacture, package, market and distribute his...

My BEST business decision...(Brief Article)
September 1, 2000... "The best business decision I made was deciding to learn everything I could about the family business before actually joining the company. "While I was still in high school, I knew I wanted to be part of the business. At the age of 15, I...